1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a mobile robot having a function of estimating friction coefficients between the ground and wheels while moving on a complicated 3D terrain and a friction coefficient estimation method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, mobile robots are used in various fields due to advances in the development of sensors and controllers for the robot. Examples of mobile robots include household robots, such as cleaning robots and security robots, inspection robots performing various operations in dangerous places or unknown places in place of a human, and reconnaissance robots are used.
To facilitate movement, a mobile robot may recognize the position thereof on a map, plan a path during a path planning process, and pass through a terrain to a target. During the path planning process, the mobile robot may need to determine whether or not the mobile robot may easily traverse through the terrain. Since traversability represents whether or not the mobile robot may pass along a path, path planning may be effectively optimized in consideration of traversability.
Such traversability may be influenced by friction coefficients between the ground and wheels. For example, as a friction coefficient between the ground upon which the mobile robot moves and a wheel increases, traversability may increase, and as the friction coefficient between the ground and the wheel decreases, traversability may decrease. When traversability increases, it is estimated that the mobile robot may easily pass through a terrain, and when traversability decreases, it is estimated that the mobile robot may not easily pass through the terrain. That is, more accurate estimation of movement of the mobile robot may be performed using friction coefficients between the ground and the wheels of the mobile robot.